What a trip to Vietnam
really costs in 2026

Spoiler: two weeks in Vietnam in 2026 lands between €1,150 (backpacker) and €5,400 (luxury) per person, flight from Europe included. Mid-range sits at €1,800–€2,200. Vietnam is probably the best value-per-day in Southeast Asia — cheaper than Thailand, food a tier above by most counts, landscapes nothing else in the region matches (Halong, Sapa, Ninh Binh). Everything below is the breakdown.

---

The headline number, three ways

If you only want the figure, here it is: 14 days in Vietnam in 2026, per person, all-in (flights and ground spend).

The usual it-depends caveats apply — hotel tier, whether you splash on a private Halong cruise (€50 group vs €600 private), and how many internal flights vs sleeper trains you take. The tables below split it apart by category.

---

What each tier actually buys

Backpacker — low-cost flight with two layovers, hostels and family guesthouses, food 100% from street stalls, sleeper trains in place of internal flights, a shared 1-day Halong cruise, no private tours.

Mid-range — flight with a single short layover, 3-to-4-star boutique hotel in Hanoi/Hoi An/Ho Chi Minh, internal flights on VietJet or Vietnam Airlines, mix of street food and mid-range restaurants, 2-day/1-night Halong cruise in a small group, two or three booked activities (food tour, cooking class).

Luxury — business or premium economy, landmark 5-star hotels (Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi, Park Hyatt in HCMC), a private villa in Hoi An, 3-day/2-night private Halong cruise, private driver-guide, dinners at Vietnam's first Michelin-starred counters (Anan Saigon, Gia).

---

Flights — Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh, the two entry points

Vietnam has two main international airports: Hanoi (HAN) in the north and Ho Chi Minh / Saigon (SGN) in the south. The optimal play is open-jaw — fly into one, out of the other — so you don't double-back across the country. 2026 numbers, pulled from Skyscanner, Google Flights and Kiwi in March 2026 for flights between May and October:

How to bring them down: book open-jaw (in via Hanoi, out via Ho Chi Minh) — the same price as a round-trip and saves you either an internal flight or 30 hours on a bus or train. Book 3–4 months out. Avoid Tet (Lunar New Year, late January or February) and the December–early-January peak. Best layovers: Qatar (Doha), Turkish (Istanbul), Emirates (Dubai).

There are no direct flights from Spain to Vietnam — the best price-to-quality combination remains Qatar Airways with a Doha layover (11h + 5h). From London, Paris and Amsterdam the direct Vietnam Airlines flights still run, though Qatar via Doha usually undercuts them by €100–200. Saigon (SGN) is normally €30–50 cheaper than Hanoi (HAN) out of Madrid in shoulder season.

---

Accommodation — cheap at the bottom, sensible at the top

Vietnam's hotel market is unusually competitive: €5 hostels, €30 boutique hotels in Hoi An, landmark 5-star hotels at prices that would only buy you 4-star in Europe. For 13 nights split across Hanoi, Halong, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh, 2026 numbers:

Hanoi (3–4 nights)

• Hostel dorm: €5–9 per night in the Old Quarter. Hanoi Backpackers, Vietnam Backpackers Hostel.
• 3-star boutique hotel: €25–50 per night, La Sinfonía del Rey, Apricot Hotel, Hanoi La Siesta.
• 4-to-5-star hotel: €80–160 per night, Sofitel Plaza, Apricot Hotel Premier.
• Landmark 5-star hotel: €250–450 per night, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (1901, where Charlie Chaplin and Graham Greene stayed). One of the most memorable hotel experiences in Asia at this price.

Halong Bay (1–2 nights on board)

• Short shared day cruise (4–6h): €25–45 per person, no overnight.
• 2-day / 1-night group cruise: €90–150 per person, all-in (Hanoi transfer, meals, kayak, cave visit).
• 3-day / 2-night boutique cruise: €250–450 per person, Au Co, Bhaya Classic, Indochina Sails.
• Private luxury cruise: €700–1,500 per person on boats like Heritage Bình Chuẩn or Paradise Elegance. Routinely listed among the world's best travel experiences.

Hoi An (3 nights)

• Family homestay: €12–22 per night with breakfast.
• Boutique hotel with a pool: €35–70 per night, Little Hoi An, Anantara Hoi An (the entry-level Anantara).
• Beachfront resort at An Bang: €100–220 per night, Four Seasons The Nam Hai (top end), Boutique Hoi An Resort.
• Private villa in the rice paddies: €250–500 per night, several listings on Booking and Airbnb.

Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) (2–3 nights)

• Hostel: €6–12 per night in District 1 (Pham Ngu Lao) or District 3.
• 3-to-4-star boutique hotel: €35–75 per night, Silverland Sakyo, Liberty Saigon Citypoint.
• 5-star hotel: €130–280 per night, Park Hyatt Saigon, Sofitel Saigon Plaza, The Reverie (the most exuberant in town).

For a couple, the per-person split makes a €60-per-night Hanoi boutique €30 each — cheaper than a double-room hostel in Madrid. In a group of four, two-bedroom Hoi An villas with a pool and a kitchen work out at €50–80 per person per night. How to split the villa without arguments.

---

Internal transport — flight, sleeper train, bus or sleeper bus

Vietnam runs 1,650km north to south. To move without burning days, you'll combine flights with trains and buses. 2026 numbers:

• Hanoi ↔ Da Nang/Hoi An by plane: VietJet, Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways. €30–65 one-way (1h 20min). Booked 3–4 weeks ahead, more like €25–40.
• Hanoi ↔ Da Nang by Reunification Express train: €35–55 in a 4-berth sleeper cabin. 15h. The classic Vietnam train experience — worth doing at least one leg.
• Da Nang ↔ Ho Chi Minh by plane: €30–55 one-way (1h 30min), several low-cost carriers.
• Hanoi ↔ Halong by bus: bundled into your cruise (transfer included). On your own: €12–18 on a tourist bus, 3h 30min.
• Da Nang ↔ Hoi An by private taxi: €18–25 (45min). Grab also works.
• Hanoi ↔ Sapa by sleeper bus: €18–30 overnight in a bunk-style coach (8h, arrives at dawn).
• Hanoi ↔ Ninh Binh by bus or train: €6–12, 2h 30min. Ideal as a 1- or 2-day side trip.

Inside each city, local transport is cheap. Grab and Be (regional ride-hail apps) are the best option in Hanoi and Saigon — fixed price, no haggle. Average Grab ride: €1–3. Vinasun and Mai Linh taxis are reliable if you don't use the apps. Watch out for moto-taxis (xe ôm): cheap but uninsured — skip them unless you're experienced. In Hoi An and Ninh Binh, rent a bike for €1–2 a day — that's the right scale for both places.

Total internal transport per person over 14 days, mid-range: €200. That covers two domestic flights (Hanoi–Da Nang, Da Nang–HCMC), the Halong bus (bundled into the cruise), Grab in each city, the Da Nang–Hoi An taxi and the airport-hotel transfer. Backpacker (everything by bus, sleeper bus and sleeper train): €110. Luxury (domestic flights in business class, private transfers, a driver to Halong): €350.

---

Food — arguably Southeast Asia's best

Vietnamese cooking is notable for two reasons: pronounced regional variety (north, centre and south have entirely different signature dishes) and astonishing prices for the quality. The pyramid:

• Street-stall pho: the country's signature dish. Pho Bo (beef) or Pho Ga (chicken) at a stall: €1.50–2.50. Pho 10 (Hanoi), Pho Hung (HCMC) are institutions. €5–8 per day eating well.
• Banh mi (sandwich): €1–2. The French-Vietnamese fusion done right. Banh Mi 25 in Hanoi, Banh Mi Phuong in Hoi An (the one Anthony Bourdain put on the map).
• Bun cha, bun bo Hue, com tam, banh xeo: €2–4 each. Every regional plate costs less than a Western coffee.
• Local restaurant with tablecloths: €5–12 per person. Quan An Ngon (chain with several locations), Cha Ca La Vong in Hanoi.
• Mid-range tourist-facing restaurant (Hanoi/Hoi An): €12–22 per person. Madam Hien, Home Hanoi, Morning Glory in Hoi An.
• Fine dining without a star: €30–60 per person. Anan Saigon, Pots 'n Pans, La Maison 1888 in Da Nang.
• Michelin starred: Anan Saigon (€90–130), Gia Hanoi (€120–180). Vietnam got its first Michelin Guide in 2023; the list is still small but it's growing fast.
• Vietnamese coffee (cà phê): €1–3 anywhere. The cà phê sữa đá (iced condensed-milk coffee) is non-negotiable. Cộng Cà Phê is the chain to know.

Per tier, food spend over 14 days per person:

• Backpacker (street food + the occasional local sit-down): €120. Three meals a day under €9, including coffee and beer, is realistic.
• Mid-range (mix of street food + tourist-facing restaurants + 2–3 fine-dining dinners): €280.
• Luxury (fine dining nightly, one or two Michelin counters, hotel room service): €600–900.

A perfect pho costs €2 in Hanoi and is genuinely worth the trip on its own. Trading down a humble stall for a tourist-facing restaurant just because "it looks cleaner" misses the point of going to Vietnam.

---

Tickets and experiences — Halong and Cu Chi do the heavy lifting

The Halong cruise is the line item that inflates this category most. Pure attractions (museums, temples) are cheap. 2026 numbers:

• Temple of Literature (Hanoi): €1.50.
• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: free.
• Old Quarter walking tour: free (tip-based walking tours, €5–10 to the guide).
• Halong 1-day shared cruise: €25–45.
• Halong 2-day / 1-night group cruise: €90–150.
• Halong 3-day / 2-night boutique cruise: €250–450 per person.
• Ninh Binh full day (Tam Coc + Hoa Lu): €25–45. The "Halong on land" — karst mountains and rice paddies, navigated in a rowboat.
• Sapa 2-day / 1-night excursion: €60–130 with a homestay in an H'mong village.
• Water-puppet show (Hanoi): €4–8.
• Cu Chi tunnels (HCMC): €4–6 entry + €12–25 transport. The most popular half-day trip out of Saigon.
• Mekong Delta full day from HCMC: €25–45 in a group, €90–180 private.
• Half-day cooking class (Hoi An): €30–55 with a market visit, four or five dishes and a recipe book.
• Hoi An old-town entry pass: €5 (valid 24h, gets you into 5 monuments in the historic centre).
• Tailor in Hoi An (custom shirt or suit): €30–200 depending on quality. Yaly Couture and BeBe Tailor are the references — finished in 24–48h.

A realistic 14-day total covering a 2-day Halong cruise, Ninh Binh, Cu Chi, a Mekong group day, a Hoi An cooking class and standard monument entries: €200 per person. Upgrade the cruise to a 3-day boutique boat and add €100–300.

---

How to bring the bill down without sacrificing the trip

• Book open-jaw (in via Hanoi, out via HCMC). Same price as a round-trip and saves you 30 hours on a bus or one domestic flight.
• Book the international flight 3 months out. Vietnam's sweet spot is 60–90 days before departure, not earlier.
• Avoid Tet (Lunar New Year, late January or first half of February). It's the single worst week to travel — most things close and prices spike. December and the first week of January are also peak. March, April, September and October are the best months for price and weather.
• Eat at street stalls at least once a day. Street pho isn't the budget option — it's the best food in the country. The average Hanoi stall outclasses any tourist-facing restaurant.
• The mid-range Halong cruise is the sweet spot. €90–150 for 2 days / 1 night gives you a memorable experience without the €400 boutique tag. The €25 day-cruise options are crowded and rushed.
• Use Grab or Be over taxis. Same cars, no scam vector, fixed price in-app. Works in Hanoi, HCMC, Da Nang, Hue.
• Skip the Sinh Tourist / The Sinh Cafe tours except for cheap bus transfers — they're mass-market tours. For real experiences, book operators like Asia Outdoors (Halong kayaking), Vespa Adventures (HCMC food tour) or Hanoi Cooking Centre.
• Group of four? Rent a villa in Hoi An. Two- or three-bedroom villas with a pool in the rice paddies: €80–150 a night, splitting four ways at €25–50 per person at mid-to-upper tier.
• Hoi An tailor: worth it but negotiate. Custom shirt at BeBe or Yaly: €35–60. Wool suit: €200–350. Fit it before leaving — the details matter.
• VAT refund: purchases over 2,000,000 VND (~€75) at "VAT Refund" shops give 8% back at the airport on departure with a passport.

---

How it compares to other 2-week trips

To gauge Vietnam's positioning, compare it like-for-like with other two-week destinations at the same hotel and restaurant tier:

• Vietnam (Hanoi + Halong + Hoi An + HCMC): €2,000 per person.
• Thailand (Bangkok + Chiang Mai + islands): €2,200 per person. (Detailed breakdown.)
• Southeast Asia grand tour (Vietnam + Cambodia + Thailand): €2,800 per person, 21 days.
• Indonesia (Bali + Yogyakarta): €2,000 per person, 14 days.
• Morocco (Marrakech + Fez + Sahara): €1,700 per person, 14 days. (Detailed breakdown.)
• Japan (Tokyo + Kyoto + Osaka + Hiroshima): €3,500 per person, 14 days. (Detailed breakdown.)
• Italy classic (Rome + Florence + Venice): €2,600 per person.

The takeaway: Vietnam is probably the best distance-to-cost-to-cultural-density ratio at the top of Asia. Cheaper than Thailand, more varied landscape (mountainous north vs tropical south), and food that reliably wins the side-by-side. Only Morocco beats it on absolute price, with less landscape variety in exchange.

---

What if you only have 10 days?

Ten days is the sensible minimum once you account for the distance from Europe. The maths shifts because the international flight stays the same regardless of trip length:

• Backpacker: €950 per person.
• Mid-range: €1,650 per person.
• Luxury: €4,700 per person.

The optimal 10-day route is Hanoi (3 nights) + Halong cruise (2 days) + Hoi An (3 nights) + HCMC (1–2 nights). It covers the three cultural ecosystems — traditional north, historical-artisan centre, cosmopolitan south. For 7 days, drop HCMC or extend Hoi An — Halong holds up even on a quick visit.

---

Frequently asked

What does a 2-week trip to Vietnam cost for a couple?

For a couple at mid-range, in 2026: €3,700–4,300 total (€1,850–2,150 per person, flight from Europe included). Backpacker: €2,300 total. Luxury: €11,000–13,500 total. The advantage of travelling as a couple is that the €70–100-per-night boutique hotels split, putting an upper-mid trip well under €2,500 per person.

What's the cheapest time of year to visit Vietnam?

March, April, September and October. Vietnam has three distinct climates because of its length: the north has winter (cold in Hanoi, rain in Sapa) from November to February; the centre has typhoons in October and November; the south is tropical year-round. March–April is the country-wide "spring". Avoid Tet (Lunar New Year, usually late January or early February): most things close and prices spike. June–August is very humid in the north and centre.

Is the Halong cruise worth it?

Yes, almost without debate. Halong Bay's 1,600 karst islands are one of the most photographed landscapes on the planet, and the experience is hard to replicate elsewhere. The 4–6h day cruise works if you only have one day, but it loads the boat at peak hours. The 2-day / 1-night cruise is the sweet spot — kayaking in calm water, breakfast with the view, sunset over the rocks. The 3-day / 2-night cruise adds Bai Tu Long (the less-touristed bay) and is worth it if Halong is the main reason for the trip. Book a month ahead, especially in peak season.

Can you do Vietnam on under €1,000 total?

Yes, in 10–14 days with discipline. Open-jaw flight with a long layover (Madrid via Doha, in to Hanoi, out from HCMC, €550–650). Hostels and family guesthouses: €7–12 per night. 100% street food: €6–9 per day. Buses and sleeper trains in place of internal flights. Shared 1-day Halong cruise: €30. Total realistic: €980–1,080 over 12 days. Vietnam is one of the few countries where a tight budget and an authentic experience genuinely overlap — you don't have to sacrifice the trip to save.

Should I exchange dong before leaving?

No, the Vietnamese dong (VND) isn't sold outside the country. Change €50–100 at the airport on arrival (the rate is fair) and pull the rest at ATMs (Vietcombank, BIDV, Sacombank have the lowest fees, €1–3 per withdrawal). The Vietnam quirk: US dollars are widely accepted in hotels, tours and tourist-facing restaurants. Carrying €100–200 in small USD bills gives you a cushion if ATMs fail. Heads-up: 1 million dong is roughly €38. The number of zeros confuses everyone — double-check the price before you pay.

How much do you spend per day in Vietnam?

Excluding flights and hotels: €15–25 per day backpacker (street food + Grab + the occasional ticket), €40–65 per day mid-range (mix of street food and restaurants + tours + transport), €120–280 per day at the high end (fine dining + spa + private tours). Vietnam runs 10–15% cheaper than Thailand day-to-day, especially on mid-range restaurants and accommodation.

What if we travel as a group of 4?

Per-person budget drops 20–30% because accommodation splits, especially the Hoi An villa segment. A couple paying €35 each for a €70 boutique hotel becomes a four paying €30 each for a €120 villa, usually with a pool and a kitchen. Add the splits on a private Halong cruise (€350 between four = €88 each, vs €90 per person in a mid-group cruise). Wayra splits group expenses without arguments — log the flight, the villa, the cruise, and the balance does itself.